Forsmark failed to follow important control routine

For seven months Forsmark Kraftgrupp AB has operated reactor 1 with a rubber packing inside the reactor containment which had not been controlled in accordance with the internal routines.

“That is not acceptable and I have today informed SKI General Director Judith Melin, emphasizing that I regard what has happened as most disturbing, says Hans von Uthmann, Senior Executive Vice President of Vattenfall AB and nominated as chairman of the Forsmark Kraftgrupp AB board.

A test rubber sample was taken during routine revision last June. When the test result had been analysed, it was clear that the elasticity of the rubber packing was insufficient, and the reactor was closed down on 2 February. Forsmark Kraftgrupp AB has classed the deteriorated function of the rubber packing in the reactor containment at Forsmark 1 as a category 1 incident and preliminarily as level 1 on the international INES scale, which signifies a deviation from normal operation.

Simultaneously, SKI (the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspection) was informed about the test results. SKI has been at site in Forsmark during the past week to investigate the matter. Forsmark 1 has now been closed down and the rubber packing will be changed. This work is estimated to take at least three weeks. The test results from Forsmark 2 showed that the rubber packing in the reactor containment is fully operable. Therefore, Forsmark 2 will be taken into operation during the next few days.

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